Started the wild plants class tonight-uses for healing

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

We began a series tonight on identifying wild plants that can be used not only for eating but for healing. Thought I'd share my notes with you:

Shepherd's Purse

Around here, it comes in early spring, from late March to the end of April. It has tiny heart shaped seed pods. You can eat it--it has a peppery flavor. But it also has a medicinal use--it stops bleeding. Old timers used to make a tincture, chop up fine, place in 1 pint jar, covering with enough live apple cider vinegar or brandy so that the leaves are just floating freely. Keep in fridge and swish around every so often. 5-10 drops twice a day helped women taper off heavy menses. For really heavy bleeding (such as what may happen after childbirth, or heavy bleeding with bleeding ulcers), 30 drops were given twice a day. It also is a smooth muscle relaxant. The instructor told of when her vet helped with a cat that was having difficulty urinating. The animal was given 3 drops every 15 minutes until it could urinate freely.

Chickweed

A good salad green, it helps with throat irritation, and repairs mucus membranes in the digestive tract. Can be eaten or used in a tea. Combined with cleevers, chickweed makes a salve that is very soothing for rashes and chapped skin. We'll be making some salve next class, so I can explain how it is done.

Plantain

This is nature's band aid. It dries wounds and stimulates skin growth. Chop up leaves and place on wound like a poultice. If you are out hiking and get a blister on your heal, chew up some leaves, put on the blister, and cover with a whole leaf-put sock back on.


I think as economic factors get more dire, it is important to know about wild plants that can be used for food or to give comfort. The instructor said there is an herbalist named Steven Foster living in Eureka Springs who is an expert on all the plants--he's written a Peterson Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs. You may wish to see if your library has a copy.

[rumpel]

1. what synchronicity

I was just given a Native American cookbook, which is about the same subject...

identifying, gathering and using native plants for cooking and medicine.

I only had time to glance through it...

:)

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. Cool!

I'm thinking that in the coming days and months your book (and my class) will be giving handy information! Let me know if your book tells of more uses for the plants I listed.

[I Have A Dream]

3. Thank you for sharing this information, ayesha!

:)

[Metta]

4. "... don't need a crystal ball to tell that you'll do well.

Since you walk in the light. This is just like attracts like for you.


I remember my herb studying days. Everything I needed to know, I found in John Lust's Herb Book, a soup to nuts paperback of descriptions, properties and uses. Makes me happy to just think of it.


:hi: :)

[Celebration]

5. Chickweed

I hope things economic don't become dire, but at least I know I will have plenty of this stuff. It has taken over the backyard. Our next door neighbors have a rooster, right in the middle of the city. They thought they were getting a hen that would lay eggs. I would consider getting a hen (though both rooster and hen are against city ordinance).

[truedelphi]

6. one section of our yard has that stuff. Didn't know what it was --

I have been a city slicker until two years ago.

Good to find out what it is!

[Shallah Kali]

7. A little girl lobbied her city to allow her to keep hens last year in Maine

Many big cities like people have a few hens now and there are many websites on it. Here is the site for the girl who ask S. Portland, Me to Give Peeps a Chance:

http://www.sailzora.com/SoPoChickens.htm

[Celebration]

8. what a good idea

It should be against the law to misprepresent a rooster as a hen. It has come to the point where the rooster next door is becoming a nuisance. He starts crowing at the break of dawn, and at various times throughout the day. When they had hens they thought the pen was predator proof but it turned out not to be..........something got them. This neighborhood seems nothing like a neighborhood that would have livestock of any kind. The rooster was some needed diversity at first, but then he got loud.

[Shallah Kali]

9. it probably is against the law to have a rooster instead of a hen

Many of the cities including s. Portland ban roosters exactly because of this. It is a city and far from the rural county.

[rosesaylavee]

10. Very very cool.

Thanks for posting! I knew about plantain - as I don't weed and feed my lawn, I have patches of that here and there. Please let us know other tidbits as you go along.

[japple]

11. Thanks for the valuable info on chickweed. I have it by the

acre and am happy to know that it's edible. Also, Shepherd's Purse is (I think) the same thing as purslane which invades my garden during the summer. I tried eating some (steamed, seasoned with olive oil and salt/pepper), but didn't care for the texture of the plant. Now, I'm off to find plantain in my field guide.

Thanks again, ayesha, for sharing your course with us.